Author: Dreamwell Theatre

9 Parts of Desire—A Portrait of Iraqi Women in the Shadow of War—Opens at the Riverside Festival Stage, August 19th. Iowa Theatre Blog says “9 Parts is Powerful.” Read the blog’s great interview with the cast of 9 Parts of Desire. Dreamwell Theatre and Iowa City Community Theatre have joined forces to produce 9 Parts of Desire, a portrait of the besieged, broken, uplifting and extraordinary experiences of nine Iraqi women living in a country overshadowed by war. Rachel Howell directs the critically-acclaimed work. Playwright Heather Raffo, an Iraqi-American, gathered material from hours of interviews with Iraqi women. The resulting work deftly and poetically weaves the stories of a sensual and complicated artist, a radical communist, a doctor embittered by unimaginable horrors, a woman who sells scavenged items to survive, a ceremonial leader of mourning, an elderly exile, a questioning young girl, a mother longing for lasting affection from a man, a caretaker of a memorial, and an Iraqi-American living in New York during 9-11. Originally produced as a one-woman show, Howell cast nine area actresses in the show. “I saw this as an opportunity to lend distinct voices to these beautiful, heartrending characters,” says Howell. “The roles absolutely demand compassion, vulnerability and humor, making this a unique showcase for the diverse female talent in our community.” 9 Parts of Desire will be performed August 19, 20, 21, 26,...